With the extension of the human life span and the increasing pressure of women’s work and life, menopause syndrome (MPS) refers to a problem that puzzles almost all women worldwide. Hormone replacement treatment (HRT) can effectively mitigate the symptoms but can also exert adverse effects to a certain extent. Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizome (GRR) is commonly made into a charcoal processed product, termed GRR Carbonisatas (GRRC), for use in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). GRRC is widely used to treat MPS and other gynecological diseases. In this study, GRRC was prepared through pyrolysis. Subsequently, GRR-derived carbon dots (GRR-CDs) were purified through dialysis and characterized using transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, ultraviolet, fluorescence, X-ray photoelectron microscopy, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The effects of GRR-CDs on MPS were examined and confirmed using ovariectomized female mice models. The GRR-CDs ranged from 1.0 to 3.0 nm in diameter and with multiple surface chemical groups, as indicated by the results. GRR-CDs can elevate the estradiol (E2) level of healthy female mice. Moreover, GRR-CDs can alleviate MPS using the typical ovariectomized mice model, as confirmed by elevating the estradiol (E2) level and reducing the degree of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and raising the degree of uterine atrophy. The results of this study suggested that GRR-CDs may be a potential clinical candidate for the treatment of MPS, which also provides a possibility for nanodrugs to treat hormonal diseases.

Acute myocardial infarction is an ischemic injury of the myocardium caused by an imbalance in the blood supply to myocardial tissues, which poses a serious threat to human life and health. Oxidative stress has been recognized as a significant contributor to acute myocardial infarction. Salvia miltiorrhiza Carbonisata (SMC) is among the most frequently employed herbal remedies for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction; however, the exact identity of its principal active constituents is not well defined. Research indicates that carbon dots (CDs) exhibit significant biological properties. Consequently, we initially synthesized carbon dots (CDs) from Salvia miltiorrhiza Carbonisata, with the objective of exploring how SMC-CDs mitigate isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. The results showed that the pretreatment with SMC-CDs markedly enhanced compromised cardiac function, mitigated myocardial fibrosis and the infiltration of inflammatory cells, decreased the size of the infarct, and suppressed cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Furthermore, the antioxidant properties of myocardial tissue were enhanced, and oxidative stress caused by free radicals was effectively mitigated by SMC-CDs, which succeeded in reducing levels of myocardial enzymes and elevating the activity of relevant ATPases. This implies that SMC-CDs could be a potential candidate for novel nanomedicine strategies designed to address cardiovascular ailments.

Background: Ischemic stroke (IS) is probably the most important acute serious illness, where interdisciplinary approach is essential to offer the best chance for survival and functional recovery of patients. Carbon dots (CDs) with multifaceted advantages have provided hope for development brand-new nanodrug for treating thorny diseases. Methods: This study developed a green and environmentally responsible calcination method to prepare novel Gardenia jasminoides Carbonisata (GJC-CDs) as promising drug for ischemic stroke treatment. Results: In this work, we isolated and characterized for the first time a novel carbon dots (GJC-CDs) from the natural plant G. jasminoides. Results displayed that green GJC-based CDs with tiny sizes and abundant functional groups exhibited solubility, which may be beneficial for its settled biological activity. The neuroprotective effect of carbon dots from G. jasminoides were evaluated using the classical middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. Assessing the infarct volume content of the ischemic cerebral hemisphere and determining the serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of the mice in each group, it was evident that pre-administration of the drug by GJC-CDs significantly reduced the infarct volume as well as attenuated inflammatory responses and excessive oxidative stress in MCAO mice. Furthermore, in vitro cellular experiments demonstrated that GJC-CDs have good biosafety and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity. Conclusions: Overall, GJC-CDs performs neuroprotective effect on cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury, which not only provides evidence for further broadening the biological application of acute ischemic stroke but also offers novel strategy for the application of nanomedicine to treat acute diseases.

Background: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), a prevalent refractory focal epilepsy frequently complicated by comorbid anxiety and depression, poses significant therapeutic challenges due to the inadequate efficacy of current antiepileptic drugs in seizure control. Carbon dots (CDs) demonstrate notable biological activities and represent a promising class of nanomedicines for TLE intervention. Methods: This study established an eco-friendly calcination protocol to synthesize a novel suspension of Crinis Carbonisatus-derived carbon dots (CC-CDs) as a candidate therapeutic for TLE. Results: In a TLE mouse model, the CC-CDs suspension significantly inhibited phosphorylation of the MAPK pathway (p-JNK, p-ERK, p-p38; p < 0.01, p < 0.05), leading to reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α; p < 0.01, p < 0.05), upregulation of TGF-β1 (p < 0.01, p < 0.05), and restoration of antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, GSH, CAT; p < 0.01, p < 0.05). These modifications subsequently regulated the Glu/GABA balance, alleviating excitotoxicity (p < 0.05), attenuating neuronal damage and Nissl body loss in hippocampal CA1/CA3 regions, and improving cognitive function alongside reducing anxiety-like behaviors (p < 0.01, p < 0.05). In vitro, the CC-CDs suspension suppressed LPS-induced apoptosis in BV2 cells. Conclusions: The CC-CDs suspension ameliorates TLE by inhibiting MAPK signaling, thereby reducing neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, rectifying Glu/GABA imbalance, attenuating excitotoxicity, and ultimately improving behavioral deficits. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of CC-CDs suspension for TLE treatment.